Read on Twitter
re: teenage fangirls, misogyny, and the ARMY fandom.
AKA: why do people hate teenage fangirls so much? and why do people think that’s okay? — a thread
AKA: why do people hate teenage fangirls so much? and why do people think that’s okay? — a thread
teenage fangirls have always been an integral part of fandom. they are often the first champions of a artist or piece of media.
when people see a artist that has predominantly female fans, especially young ones, they assume that the artist is vapid, lacking substance, or otherwise shallow. this is a problematic association because it reflects back onto society’s expectation of teenage girl intelligence.
that being said, there is nothing that is wrong with being a fan of something for no other reason than pure enjoyment. i think the issue is that it is an automatic assumption that teenage girls = stupidity/shallowness/vanity.
this association is reflective of a larger social issue and something that i personally have experienced. but i digress.
this association within the context of pop culture and media reinforces the idea that women, especially young women, somehow do not have the capacity to critically engage with or think about the media they consume.
which is frankly wrong. fangirls have the capacity for critical thought, just like anyone else. and the presumption that we don’t is concerning.
the diminishment of teenage girls is a “historical” concept within fandom, but what actually concerns me more is how willing people within the ARMY fandom specifically are so willing to just throw teenage girl ARMY under the bus to prove a point.
yes, this fandom is diverse in all ways. yes, that is something we should cherish and celebrate. but that does not make it okay to demean teenage girls and label them as a hinderance to the fandom.
it’s incredibly misogynistic and often comes from internalized misogyny, but that’s a conversation for another day. teenage girls are not less worthy fans. their interest should not be belittled or made the butt of a joke.
it’s possible to make the point that not all ARMY are teenage girls without discrediting teenage girls. because if you do that, you’re pandering and making it seem like teenage fangirl ARMY are less worthy of being in this fandom and are a detriment. which we aren’t.
i especially hate to see the anti-fangirl rhetoric coming from other, older women. we need to try and support each other. i get that i can feel like a dig to have your interest demeaned for being something that “only teenage girls like,” but why is that offensive to you?
anyway, i will continue to talk about this till the cows come home because it is such a pervasive issue within the fandom. and as an ‘03 liner, it’s exhausting to be made to feel like my “fangirl” status is something that i should be ashamed of.
i wrote more about this in an essay which you can find here. https://turnofphase.medium.com/fangirls-fandom-and-bts-a-letter-to-the-army-25cf70c0442
